Grub Crawl - Altamonte Springs and Casselberry: H&H Bagels and Roma's Bistro

I tried these spots on Wednesday at lunch. The first is next to Carraba's in a strip mall near 436 on 434. The next is on 436 in a Marathon station. Blame the Orlando Weekly guy for bringing it to our attention.

H&H Bagels - I ate them my whole childhood. It has been a while, so, I will admit that my recollections may be off. However, The sesame with cc I had for $5 wasn't the same. The outside was fine. Inside was too dense. Either underbaked, stale or that Florida v NY water problem. It also tasted honey sweet. I don't recall that. Who knows? Maybe they switched the recipe years ago. I don't care for it. They had around ten types and five flavored cc. Mostly trying to sell sandwiches for over $11. I actively dislike bagels as a sandwich vehicle. Too thick. Bad ratios. Opened ten days ago. Looks great. Vibrant dark blue. Some gray and white. Order at a counter. Four tables for four. 

Roma's Bistro -  I tried a beef and chicken soft taco for $3 a piece. Both good. Tortilla could have been processed and fresh or hand made and not fresh. Wasn't gridled. Chicken was better. Chopped. Both were full. Onion and cilantro. Salsa verde. Nothing Earth shattering here. Also sell sandwiches, salads and other things. Just a stall in a Marathon station at entry to the Red Bug Lake overpass on 436. Honduran and Mexican.

Grub Crawl - Florida Mall Area: La Verguenza, Picanha's and Viet Thai Cafe

I tried these spots on OBT and Sand Lake Rd yesterday at lunch. The first two are across from each other in the strip mall on the sw corner. Non-mall side. The third is across the street from them on the nw side. A block down from the intersection. None of these are new.

La Verguenza - I had the $9.99 fried pork lunch special. It came wit beans in broth and white rice. They also gave me something that looked like half of someone's peanut butter sandwich. They called it a sandwichito. Not sure what it was. Ate a corner to be polite. The meal was pretty damn good. I had no expectations. The last time I tried to eat here it was a non-English speaking mad house. The nine, large blocks of shoulder meat were mostly meat. One cube was all fat. One had gristle. The rest were just right. In between tough and tender. No foul oil smell or taste. Not greasy. Covered in sauteed white onions. The beans were pretty tasty. I dunked my pork in that rather than the french dressing they included. Served in a cup. The rice was fine. Served in a formed mound. Typical Puerto Rican menu and prices. The place looked like it had a bath since the last time. Only three tables eating at noon. Latin music. Colorful paint. Murals with guitars, bongos, etc. Huge tv with ESPN on right wall. A few smaller ones scattered around. Twenty-ish tables of four. A bar on the left. All the patrons and staff were latin. The waitress left me hanging at the end. The other tables' food seemed to take a while. They seem to have three locations in PR. This is among my least favorite cuisine, but, this probably not a bad place to get it if want it. Seems to mean shame. I'll leave it. Too easy.

Picanha's - Mostly an AYCE Brazilian buffet. You can get it by the pound or around four sandwich specials like I chose. It was $20 this winter. Now $24. $13 a pound, I think. The non-meat buffet wasn't that impressive. Sides to dry looking fish filets. One small oven with skewers of meat that they slice off for you. You know the drill. Different beef cuts, pork, chicken, etc. Around twenty, variably sized tables. Framed posters of Brazilian cities. One bug mural. Wood. Rectangular floor plan moving away from the entrance. The staff was extremely conscientious. About half full. I wonder why they had the waste disposal area right behind the register. They made the cashier do double duty. However, it doesn't make the greatest impression. I tried the steak sandwich to go for $12. The meat wasn't great. Gray, tough hunks. Neither was the roll. Some cheese, lettuce and tomato. I figured it would be bad. But, AYCE meat isn't really my thing and this was the cheapest way to give them some pub. It is among the cheaper options. Sadly for me. And maybe them. Three other similar types of restaurants just opened between here and I Drive. Although, I suspect that they will be twice as expensive. I just heard that the winter storms made the feed for cattle (among all the other things) more expensive. So, beef will be more expensive. Seems it means rump steak. Wouldn't you think it meant pike or sword or skewer? That's probably the crap they gave me.

Viet Thai Cafe - I tossed this in because I was in the area. It was bigger inside than I expected it to be. I just expected a small take out footprint. It has two sides. A dine in area and the register and kitchen area on the left. I had the chicken pho to go for $15 because it was the thing I hadn't had in the longest time. Plus I had ordered pork and steak already that day. It was what you'd expect. Pre-boiled chicken and noodles with bean sprouts, etc. Clean, fresh, veg. The broth was interesting. It had a taste of snickerdoodle. Quiet pleasant. The menu has the typical dishes of both countries at the typical prices. The girl at the counter was very sweet. The dining room was about half full. Dark. Teal walls with appropriate decoration. Better than it sounds or looks from the outside.

Grub Crawl - Lake Mary and Longwood: Touken Sushi, Good Way Cafe and Holy City Zoo

I tried the first place on Thursday at dinner and the last two on Friday at lunch. The first is on International Parkway in a strip mall between the Lake Mary and Sanford exits. Near a Marriott. The second is near the police station on Ronald Reagan (one block in) near 434. The last is in a strip mall near a tropical fish store on the other side of 434 on Ronald Reagan.

Touken Sushi - I have no idea what it means. Opened last Friday. Higher end/price. Therefore, I had the teppan grilled salmon with steamed broccoli and carrots and fried rice for $22.50 (listed as $21.90) to go. It was good. I usually don't get the cooked items. The salmon was a tail cut (un-sushi-able part?). A tad overcooked for snobs. Nice glossy/oily exterior. No fishy flavor or smell. I thought the menu cited teriyaki sauce. I'm not sorry if they missed that. I've been served alot worse. The veg were plain. On the hard side. The rice was a bit odd. It almost tasted like brown rice. Little specks of veg. Egg yolk. Oily, yet, not oily at the same time. You could also have white rice. I'm not sure I trust a Japanese place serving fried rice. Chicken and shrimp were also available. The menu is mostly sahimi, nigiri and rolls. Nigiri started at $4 a piece. Sashimi at $3. Rolls were over $10. They had something named djos on the menu. Seven booths and six tables. Nice. Light gray and white. Modern. Not gauche. Kitchen in the rear. Sushi bar on the left. It was a Curio burrito place. No one was there because I was there so early. I hope. One waiter. Seemed like two or three in the kitchen. It will be interesting to see if they can compete at these price points. 

The Good Way Cafe - Sadly the galette with curry tofu, sun dried tomatoes and onion was pretty good and I can't do my downward squatting expulsion pose (it is in a yoga studio) all over their reputation. I say this because it has everything I hate. Entitled white women (Ewws), veganism, yoga and substance abuse (whatever makes them so laconic). You thought I was going to end with ... the French. I actually am ok with them. The galette had more holes than I've experienced in general. I think it made it more delicate/superior. The tofu mimicked egg pretty well. The curry flavor wasn't a necessary mask. It came with a side salad of arugula and yellow and red cherry tomatoes in a vinaigrette. All fresh. It cost $12. A galette in France would probably run you 6E. The place is white. Three tables for two and two for four. Order at a counter. They had drinks, baguette, tartines, bean burger, etc. Some packaged baked goods that I am not sure are theirs. Slightly confusing to find. Look for Magnolia street. Had parking. Open for a few months.

Holy City Zoo - Opened a month ago. I took a half a pound of brisket and a pastrami sandwich to go for $15 and $17. They wouldn't let you choose the part of the brisket. I got round/point. The brisket seemed to be rubless. Thin bark. No smoke ring. Beefy. Fairly tender. I suspect they smoke it in foil. A guy there said they use indoor smokers. That seems suspect. It had a never-ending aftertaste of liquid smoke. I've had better. Not terrible mind you. Came with three pickle slices and two pieces of white bread. They offer up four sauces (sweet, hot, mustard and vinegar). Only sweet bbq was good. The way they do brisket makes them necessary. The pastrami was better. But, that may be because they may have grilled it on an oily flattop (and it has spices). Certain cuts were better than others. Some were half fat. Some were tough (because of the grilling?) and/or crispy. Came on dark rye bread (thick cut) with lackluster kraut and Thousand Island dressing and Swiss. They smoke 1/2 chicken (that looked great), sausauge, ribs, pulled pork. I think they ran $12, $6, $18 for a half slab and $14 for a half pound and less for a sandwich. The typical sides starting at $4. I didn't recall platters. They had other things. The pastrami was a special along with a tostada and fried twinkies. Beer, booze, wine. Heavy Metal theme. Van Halen, etc murals and boxed guitars. Tv playing Three Stooges. Red (including foam on the ceiling), black, aluminum siding, skulls, nick nacks, concrete floor, etc. Black metal chairs and gray topped, pressed wood tables. All twos. Clumped together in packets of four or five. Around seven clusters. Twenty one seat bar. Outside patio with three or four picinic tables. The owners had places in Illinois. Parking is limited. About a quarter full. A pick up truck may be required for entry. Food came out fast. Order at a counter. The first bite of pastrami had me in raptures. But on further inspection, I'm liking it (everything) less and less. This chemical aftertaste in my mouth won't go away. It has to be artificial. And I'm going to have to research indoor smokers. *Internet agrees with my assessmets. I think they have done a great job and it is a huge step up from what had been there. However, I think the experience will depend on your knowledge of true bbq and what you order. It needs more study. $30 a lb for brisket is pushing it. Some award winners in Texas charge less.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Travel Notes - Ohio Indiana Michigan

Travel Notes - Ohio Indiana Michigan: I flew to Cleveland on Frontier for $80. No issues either way. No lines. TSA were dicks here. Only one section open. Flagged for rivets in the same jeans I wear every time. So, of course they wanted to x-ray my SHOES! After they went down on me. I swear most of them look like they couldn't make it through the check point themselves. I rented a car from Hertz for $332. I drove 90E to Mentor and stayed at the smoke stank Super 8 (Expedia 7.2) for $79. The route of this trip was influenced by which sports teams had homestands in the area. I didn't check before I booked my ticket.

The next day I drove 2W to Willoughby and had an odd turkey and swiss club with fries for $18 at Chagrin River Diner. I drove to East Lake and bought a ticket at Classic Auto Group Park for the Lake County Captains v Great Lakes Loons match up for $10 and $10 for parking. I stayed a few innings and drove 90W until it became a toll road (around Midway) and 2W to Toledo. It is just as as much of a highway. I took 75S to 475W to 24S to Fort Wayne. Road work makes it confusing around there. And people in Indiana (and Michigan) drive like they are in a race. I stayed at Magnuson's North Coliseum (Expedia 7.4) for $88. Drove downtown. I bought a ticket to the Tincaps v Beloit Sky Carp game at Parkview Field for $9 and $6 parking. Ate at the game for $16.

The next day I drove by the Coliseum. Had two coney dogs and a soda for $6 at Mister Coney. 30W to 31N to South Bend. I stayed at the great Four Winds Casino (Expedia 9.6) for $99. I grabbed a gyro combo at T. Allen's for $10. Drove to Four Winds Field downtown and bought a ticket for $15 and parking for $10 for the Cubs v Lansing Lugnuts game. Back to the hotel. Back to the game. I left after two innings because it looked like rain. Got out just in time. Bought a bottle of wine at Star Liquor and a sandwich at Subway and watched the sunset. If you load up on provolone, olives, cucumbers, etc, you have yourselves a charcuterie board. Plus their daily special makes a meal almost tolerable at $10.

The next day I went back to T. Allen's for the rib tip combo for $11. Dry. Don't listen to women in the booth across from you. 31N to 94N to 196N to Grand Rapids. Drove through. It looked cleaner this time. Stayed at the disappointing Comfort Inn (Booking 7.4) in Comstock Park for $138. Bought a ticket to the West Michigan Whitecaps v Dayton Dragons for $18. Back to the hotel. Walked to the game. Had to do Subway again because of minimal options. Did you know these "grand" cities are called so because of the Grand River?

The next day I drove 96W to Muskegon. Drove the coast of Lake Michigan. Through Grand Haven. Had a disappointing Golden Hour Bowl (quinoa, brown rice, avocado, feta, etc) at Noto's for $24. It was on the beach/lake. Only the pasta looked ok. South through Holland (Tulip Festival detours) and Saugatuck. Falafel pita and chips and beer for $43 at Saugatuck Brewing Co. South a bit to the Michigan Wine Co in Fennville. $17 for a flight of mostly bad wine. Stepped in a not so deep drainage hole sizing up a photo and somehow crushed my right ankle. Thankfully, I think I did not pop my Achilles as I originally feared. But, that put an end to that day and hobbled me from then on. Drove through South Haven to Benton Harbor. Stayed at the BW (Expedia 7.8) for $106. All the exits were closed for repairs around here. It is the cheapest/worst part of this region. BK.

The next day I took 94E through Ann Arbor to 23S to 475S to Toledo. Bought a ticket to the Mud Hens v Redbirds for $13. $4 for parking because the idiots wouldn't take credit for the flat $10 event charge and let you then pay by the hour. Drove 75S. Stopped in Bowling Green. BK. At Findlay, took 68E to 15E to 23E to 30E to Galion. Stayed at the quiet Sleep Inn (Expedia 8.8) for $97. KFC. 

The next day I drove to Mansfield to see the prison from Shawshank Redemption. It is a tour now. I believe it was $30. I was too hobbled. To downtown and had so-so eggs and sausage and potatoes and toast and a coney dog at Coney Island Diner for $22. There are more movie locations here and in the surrounding areas. Tango & Cash and Air Force One were also shot in the prison. Took 94E to Strongville. Stayed at the BW Plus (Expedia 7.6) for $73. It was close to the airport, but, better than the options north, east and west. Stay south of the airport. Chipotle. Oddly, Shawshank was on tv that night.

The next day I had Subway again and flew home. I used a free week coupon on parking, so, I only spent $4 on that plus $30 on the trip. $680 on hotels. $157 on gas. $65 on baseball tickets. $276 on food and beverage. Total $1624. 

This was just a filler trip. Still ok. Wished I had done more wineries in Michigan. I had been meaning to see that area again. Shawshank was a suggestion by the mascot in East Lake. Cold in the beginning. Then dry and warm. All the food stops were non-scripted. Nothing noteworthy. I may go back to Ohio in the summer for a tennis tournament. International airfare is double last year. Pissing me off. I just used miles on the next booking. I think it is time to stop being lazy and use up all my miles while jet fuel is a problem. Should have forced myself to go to Toledo U. Cleveland was too expensive and most of the restaurants on tv have closed or I have been to. Greek Village Grille and Slyman's Deli are still in business. The house from a Christmas Story is also near Cleveland. And that's all I have to say about that. I have been meaning to make that my sign off. It cracks me up. And that's all I have to say about that too.

Grub Crawl - Thornton Park: Osteria Ester and June

I tried these spots yesterday at dinner. They probably deserved their own visits, but, I am only paying for parking and fighting rush hour traffic once (they are mostly only open at night). Why I hadn't jumped on them to begin with. The first is at the corner of Summerlin and East Central. Part of the Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito, Osprey, Reyes, Monroe and Sparrow). The other is a block north on Summerlin at East Washington. I believe this is the group with Alfie's, etc. All those Mills locations. I parked in the building across from June. $8 for what I think was an hour plus. The first thirty minutes is free.

Osteria Ester - They had a card that explained that Chef Michael Cooper says "that this is my love letter to that feeling". This being "neighborhood red-sauce joints" from New Jersey. Not exactly reaching for the stars, but, I get it. In that vein, I eschewed the $27 sea bream and went for the chicken alla parmigiana at $24. It was good. Three large, crispy cutlets without any nasty oil flavor. A red sauce that was mostly just tomato. It had a sweetness that I would be impressed to learn was God given. The mozzarella was a bit tough. They tossed on some purple basil. The flavor profile of that didn't hep the dish. It has an uncomplimentary flavor compared with the real stuff. They most likely salamandered it. Came in the dish it was cooked in. They brought over a helpful steak knife. More than enough for one. You don't need the pasta side they were pimping. The menu had all the courses. Apps were around mid-teens. Primos in the mid-twenties. Secondi were mostly above the high twenties. An outlier was a $37 lasagna. They seated me in the bar area. They said the rain forced them to cram the patio parties inside. At least they didn't try and "bar" me. There were three or four tables for two in there. Ten person bar. Wood. A type of gray with orange areas. Black gauze drapes. The decor didn't scream Italy. The main dining area seemed similarly arranged. It is a two hostess joint. Nearly full. The service was top notch. The meal came out quickly. Water was refilled. I wasn't abandoned. Friendly vibe. Nice and casual. Some at the bar were in shorts. Rod Stewart, etc through the speakers. I never found out if they validate. It was an enjoyable dinner. Open for a few months.

June - I believe it is a Mexican menu. However, the thing I ordered to go for $15 (fried chicken) was more Panda Express. Sixteen tiny, fried nuggets of chicken in a sweet sauce with sesame seeds. Fine. I'll have it with my own rice tonight for dinner. The menu seemed written in invisible ink. Made harder by the rendez-vous lighting. It was this or a similarly priced tostada. I think I saw duck on the menu. It wasn't very large. Maybe a dozen things. The place looks great. Wood. White washed stone, Two bars. Cactus on string. Around twenty five tables. Almost full. Hip crowd. Lots of young staff in unis. Deserving of a second look that will never happen. Opened last summer. I'll see if either of these make the Favs. I am being harder on them than usual. Because of the lack of parking, hours and value. I suspect I won't find many better in their category for the rest of the year and they will sneak in. Neither disappointed.

Handel's, Oviedo

I tried a small (three scoops) coffee Heath bar cup for $5 on Alafaya and Alexandria (near Michell Hammock) on Wednesday. It wasn't great. Too watery and fluffy. Out of Youngstown OH. Many flavors. Ice cream sandwich was $3.75. Walk up window. One picinic table. All outside. Some parking out back. They seemed to have built in front of an older strip mall. Opened recently.

Grub Crawl - College Park and Winter Park: Yumee Katsu and Luca Turci

I tried these places on Sunday at lunch. The first is in a decrepit strip mall on the northeast corner of Lee Rd and Edgewater. The second is on Morse off Park.

Yumee Katsu - Open for a few weeks. In the K-Jumak location. Doesn't seem to be a chain. Also promotes the name Robot Lounge. Not sure on the why of the Korean spin on this Japanese invention. I had a Yummee Katsu for $16. The menu and board lists it at $15. It was good. Nicely fried pork loin. Eight strips. Not pink, but, I wouldn't want it that way anyway. It cames with four little cups. Kimchi, pickled radish or root, ssamjang and salt. Rice and a slightly spicy (black pepper) beef broth soup with fried rice puffs. They sell six katsus ($15-$19), seven curries ($17-$21), two specials katsus ($17-$20), six soondubu ($1-$18), six mains ($16-$35) and three noodles ($13-$20). The place is grubby. Way too grubby for a newbie. Why I had it to go. Eight tables. No ambience. One order taker. Closed on Wednesday. The dish was good, but, everything else is lacking. So, no Fav for you.

Luca Turci - Open for more than a year. Exactly what I thought it would be. Exactly why I didn't make a bee line. I had the tagliatelle with mushrooms for $25. Stodgy. Very thick and rich mushroom sauce. Probably canned mushrooms. Unnecessary microgreen garnish. Impossible to pick around and ruined any bite it was a part of. If you must, just add edible flowers. At least one can eat around those. The pasta was good. I assume it is fresh. That is their claim to fame. They served foccacia and slices of grana padano (cheaper than parm-reg)  with balsamic drizzle with the meal. The foccacia was a bit stale. If it seems like I'm being a bit tougher than usual, it is because of the price points. I liked their Dad's place in College Park. I hope to like their new venture in Maitland. I have just always thought, since I first saw the menu, that they were acting a little above their station. Here are a few (non-food) examples. They have a fresh tulip (good) in the vase at the table. It was wilting (bad). The tablecloth is plastic. The waitress never refilled the water glass. If you want to charge like a cloth napkin sort of place, you need to attend to these sort of details. The menu has around eight dishes in each category. Lasagna was up to $37 and in the Mains portion. Meats were over $50. Salads were in the teens. My pasta was the cheapest. None of them were too creative. They had a prix fixe of four courses with one glass of wine for $69. The place is small. Ten tables. Six on the patio. Faded brick covered with astroturf walls. It's cute. Pergola walkway. Sinatra+ music. Glass windows up front. Four or five, uniformed staff. Only open for lunch on Sat and Sun. No to go. The liberal dress code was nice. One special occasion table while I dined. A family came in as I left. Two parties inquired as well. They left. Unsure why. Price? Zero parking. I'll reiterate that I didn't dislike it. I just don't consider it a good value. 

*I re-reconned Tieling Express. It does seem to be a gross looking food truck aside a restaurant called Los Brothers. Both were closed. I also saw that a Thai (Saba?) food truck was parked in the gas station Chevron?) in front of Cairo Express on Lee Rd at the I4 on/off ramp. And to be comprehensive, a cool looking Mexican air stream food truck (not new) sort of across from Tieling. All not open. 

Grub Crawl - Downtown, SoDo and Hourglass: Uma, Sabai, Raine's Pizza, Ligature Coffee and Banh Mi Go

I tried these spots on Friday at lunch. The first is on the corner of the condo across from the Courthouse on Orange. The second is past Michigan on South Orange in a strip mall on the left after the one with Mooyah in it. The third is in the old gas station that has the Foxtail Coffee on Curry Ford Rd. The fourth is next to So Dough and Tin & Taco on Michigan near South Orange. The last is on the corner of South Orange and Michigan. Four out five were replacements for places I had been to too recently. I was not relishing this retracing of steps.

Uma - This must be the fourth Japanese restaurant of this type that has tried to make a go at it at this location. I didn't like the value proposition of five pieces plus a roll and tea for $20, so, I just grabbed a hamachi roll for $8 and skeedadled. It was better than expected. Fairly respectable rice. Lots of yellowtail. Although, that lacked flavor. Second time recently that yellowtail had disappointed. Eight wide pieces. Tobiko covered. Fresh wasabi. A bit loosely rolled. Their sashimi/nigiri sets are all over $30. Cold apps all over $16. Ten ramens over $17. Signature rolls over $16. Others start at $7. One piece of nigiri starts at $5. Only eleven types. The place is small. Windows. Ten tables. Sushi bar on the left. Clean. Interesting rope lights. No parking. One waitress. They weren't ready to serve at 11:30 though they open at 11am. I thought it was in another condo complex. Not that thrilled to be here eating basically the same menu for a fourth time. One other diner. Open since December. Not the space to try to try an elevated experience.

Sabai Thai Street Food - I had the Sabai fried rice for $16. Excellent. Not greasy. Short, barbed grains of rice. Lingering essence of Thai basil. Little, red hot balls of pepper (chiltepin?). Scallions. It starts with a sweet Thai sausage and they let you add three meats. I added beef, pork and chicken. None of these were adulterated. Good. A ton of them. Maybe forty percent of the dish. They have six apps ($5-$11), three soups ($12-$17), two salads ($11-$14), ten mains ($14-$18) and two desserts ($8-$12). Favs like larb, pad thai, papaya salad, tom kha in addition to fun items like jerky and crab fried rice. Isan style. Thai mother and son duo in the kitchen. No wait staff. Just a manager. Polite. Small. Maybe seven tables. They did a nice reno. Was Dragon King. Framed pics of slice of life scenes on the left wall. About half full. It will be a Favorite. Pricing was fair. Open for a month or so. Name means something pleasant like good energy.

Raine's Pizza - Also open for a month or so. I just had a slice for $4.50. Should have ordered a $18 16" pie. Excellent. Great chew. Good cheese. Proper spicy garlic tomato marinara. Grated parmesan. And this was a reheat job! They had six pre-made styles or you can design your own. $10 garlic knots. Two $8 salads. You can sit in the communal space. Didn't get a look at the oven. It has to be a wood or coal fire one. Closed M and Tu. In the Leguminati space. Will be a Fav.

Ligature Coffee - A few weeks old. Grabbed a good $2 lemonade. They do tea and coffee. No food I believe. But they have merch. Stark set up. One large room with bar area on the right rear. One server/pourer. Five circular tables for two and one square one for four on the left. Packed with what if we were in Los Angeles would call "screenwriters". Are there still people without wifi at home? Parking is minimal. They need a sign. Impossible to spot from the street.

Banh Mi Go - This was the most annoying change of ownwership. I think this is the fourth place I have sampled at this location in the last two years. It was JUST Mii Cafe. Guess what I had then? Correct. A banh mi. So what did I do this time? Three protein banh mi for $11. I tried steak, pork belly and chicken. All good. Came with pate and the usual veg. Baguette was proper-ish. Probably supermarket. Great value. And I usually hate all grilled meat bahn mi. The meat is usually gristle. The menu is similar to Mii Cafe. A little Chinese-y now. Five apps like egg rolls and dumplings ($5-$6). $3.50 spring rolls (6 kinds). Six bahn mi ($8-$11). Six rice dishes ($12-$16). Five pho ($14-$17). Five three for $12 bao. Eight vermicelli (bun) bowls ($15-$16). Great pricing. I love the addition of the Chinese stuff. The place has the same layout. Looks cleaner/fresher though. Parking is minimal. Open for less than a few weeks. Upgrade from Mii Cafe. Probably a Fav. Which is impressive because I was seriously considering just pretending it hadn't changed hands. Closed Sunday. I probably should have found out if the apps are frozen or home made.

*Guess what? Lane closures on I4 due to a crash. Just like Monday. Thankfully this was farther towards Disney this time. Can law enforcement focus on these imbeciles instead of speeders? Stop speed trapping and start driving along with us so that you can see the nonsense we have to put up with. Maybe even discourage it. Here are some things to look out for: fast laners going under the speed limit, semis in the fast lane, people passing in the slow lanes, people swerving in and out of lanes, people racing off the hov lanes, people racing off exits, misloaded truck beds, people driving on spare tires, obviously unroadworthy vehicles, texters, speakerphoners, make up puteroners, seniors, Canadians, people with things (usually weed masking pine fresheners) dangling from their rear view mirror, cars with PR paraphenalia, jeeps with rubber duckies on the dashboard, cars with the stench of weed emanating from them, pick up trucks that think they are sports cars, Hyndai Sonatas, lawn maintenace trucks...